This invention relates to hiking and the out-of-doors, and especially to mountaineering and the like. The vocation or sport of hiking involves the traverse of difficult terrain, such as the ascent or descent of steep slopes involving rocks or boulders and shelves or cliffs which must be crossed. It is of course natural to aid ones self with an arm and hand, or even to crawl on all fours. But, the normal erect posture of man is to be desired, for many reasons among which is the ability to carry a back pack in the normally required manner. Therefore, it is common practice to use a hiking stick or pole, and preferably a pair of such poles and one in each hand. Poles of this type are light weight and their length adapted to the hiker using the same, and such poles have been multi-purpose supports for various other gear associated with hiking and the out-of-doors. For example, for the attachment of cameras, pick heads, shelter poles or props, gun rests, and for ski pole attachments etc. However, piror art hiking poles of the type under consideration have been wanting in hiker convenience and versatility. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved Multi Purpose Hiking Pole that is adaptable to associated support functions without sacrificing its ultimate utility as a hiking pole per se.
Heretofore, hiking poles have been standardized to generally accepted operational lengths, with wrist straps affixed to the head portion of the pole. Accordingly, the hiker must adapt to insertion of his wrist or forearm through the strap in order to accomodate for his stature. Further, such an adjustment is usually required to compensate for upgrade or downgrade hiking; to lower his grip on the pole during ascent, or to raise his grip on the pole during descent. Heretofore, this raising and lowering of the grip in order to adjust to terrain requirements has been difficult and time consuming, in that it is often necessary to disengage ones wrist from the strap which is normally in a fixed position at the top of the pole. Furthermore, the hand grips of prior art poles are generally too short to afford adequate raising and lowering of the hiker's grip. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an intantaneously adjastable strap, and to substantially lengthen the grip in cooperation therewith, so as to facilitate raising and lowering of the hiker's grip at will while traversing those difficult obstacles that are usually encountered. That is, generally, to lower the strap for ascending conditions and to raise the strap for descending conditions; and all without modifying the pole which is inherenly adapted to these various conditions.
Among the multipurpose uses of this hiking pole is the strap of loop configuration tht is adjustable along the handle of the pole, to accomodate the hiker's hand or wrist or forearm and upper arm if and when necessary, and to accomodate or support equipment such as a camera or telescope or gun barrel etc.
The head of this hiking pole is most useful and utilitarian, in that it is a coupling means for the adjustable securement of lines and tethers, as for example those lines and tethers necessary in order to erect a tent or shelter. With the present invention there is a cap that adjustably couples to the head of the pole and frictionally engages the lines or tethers according to the tightness which circumstances require. The top of the pole is threaded for the attachment of a camera or pick head or the like, and for this purpose the cap is removed and replaced or stored on a fitting projecting from the pole, preferably from the fitting attachment for adjustable securement of the strap.